Rotatable mount for trophies



July 22, 1958 A. J. FLAUDER 2,843,959

- ROTATABLE MOUNT FOR TROPHIES Filed July 16, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1o 2 l 4 M 12- :5: F I A\ L & "j 14 I Q 40 6 6 16 20 l W IN VEN TOR.

Alfred John Flaude} ATTORNEY July 22, 1958 A. J. FLAUDER 2,843,959

v ROTATABLE MOUNT FOR TROPHIES Filed July 16, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l l L L MML i INV NTOR. Jl/freei John lauder .ATTORJVEZ nited States Patent Oce 2,843,959 Patented July 22, 1958 ROTATABLE MOUNT FOR TROPHIES Alfred John Flauder, Trumbull, Conu., assignor to Alexander M. Pistey, Bridgeport, Conn.

Application July 16, 1956, Serial No. 597,915

1 Claim. (Cl. 41-10) This invention relates to a trophy mount, and more particularly has reference to a trophy construction so designed that the figure or other supported object is rotatably mounted upon the associated pedestal, so that it can be turned as desired to permit observation of the figure from all sides.

Summarized briefly, the invention includes a supported object, fixedly mounted upon a base provided with a depending stud. A bottom plate is provided for the base, having an elongated, threaded sleeve receiving the stud to permit fixed connection of the base and bottom plate. The sleeve is rotatably engagea-ble in a vertical bore centrally formed in a mounting block of inverted cup shape and closing the bottom of the block is a disc, secured to the block by a plurality of screws. One of the screws projects above the top surface of the block, in the path of movement of a radial lug of the bottom plate, so that on rotation of the figure with the base and bottom plate, rotatable movement in opposite directions will be permitted through slightly less than 360 of a circle. Connectible to the sleeve is an antifriction means including a ball element bearing against the closure disc of the block to provide for free rotatable movement of the figure. The closure disc has a depending stud engageable in an internally threaded socket of a pedestal, the top of which has a circular groove receiving and bindingly engaging a depending, annular flange of the block.

Heretofore, the common practice has been to fixedly connect a trophy figure to its associated pedestal. This has been undesirable, in view of the fact that one desiring to inspect the figure from all sides must lift the same and bodily turn the entire device, often causing soiling of the pedestal or other damage. By reason of the invention, it is proposed to permit the figure to the rotatable in opposite directions through less than a full circle, but sufl'iciently to permit inspection of the same from all sides.

A further object is to permit the rotatable movement of the figure to be etfected by no more than a very light pressure exerted by the finger against a selected portion of the figure.

Another object is to form a trophy mount that will achieve the desirable results hereinbefore noted, while still being formed of readily separable components which may be interchanged with other components discharging the same function. In this way, one may select difierent components, of various ornamental shapes, to be brought together in a single trophy mount, thus to permit a wide range of possible designs that can be embodied in the trophy.

Still another object is to provide a trophy mount as stated that will be inexpensively designed, will be attractive, and will be so formed and assembled as to conceal from view the mechanism whereby the same may be rotated, the support of the figure being so designed as to present to the viewer a pleasing appearance that gives no indication of the above described functions thereof.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claim in which the various novel features of the, invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a trophy formed according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view transversely through the device on line 33 of Fig. 2, on the same scale as Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 2, also on the scale of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view on. line 5--5 of on the same scale as Fig. 2.

- Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view, portions being broken away, on line 6-6 of, and on the same scale as, Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is an exploded perspective view, still further enlarged, of an antifriction means embodied in the construction.

Fig. 8 is an exploded view in section on the same cutting plane as Fig. 2.

The trophy constituting the invention may be considered as embodying a plurality of separable main components, shown to best advantage in Fig. 8.

These include a supported figure or object 10, an object support base 12, a bottom plate 14 for the base 12, a mounting block 16 a closure disc 18 for the mounting block 16, and a pedestal 20.

The object 10 can, of course, be any of various figures or other ornamental objects appropriate for the purpose of the trophy, and in the illustrated example the figure of a rifle marksman is shown purely for purposes of illustrating one type of figure that might be used.

The figure 10 is per se conventional, being cast or otherwise formed from a selected material in the usual manner.

At its lower end, the figure 10 is fixedly connected to a base 12 formed as an upwardly concave-convex circular plate 22 integral at its periphery with an outwardly oflset, depending circumferential flange 24. Atregularly spaced intervals about the circumference of plate 22, there are integrally formed lugs 26 provided upon the inner surface of the plate. In the illustrated example, these are angularly spaced apart ninety degrees, as shown in Fig. 5. However, the spacing and number of the lugs can of course be varied in any manner desired. The bottom surfaces of the lugs are flush with the bottom edge of flange 24, to increase the bearing surface of the base 12.

Plate 22 is centrally formed on its underside with a circular boss 28 and welded or otherwise made 'rigid with boss 28 is a depending, elongated externally threaded stud 30 the lower end of which projects a substantial distance below the plate of the bottom edge of flange 24.

The bottom plate 14 is formed as a flat, circular plate member 32 the upper surface of which is centrally formed with a low boss 34. An internally threaded, elongated sleeve 36 is fixedly engaged in a center opening 38 of boss 34, and projects a substantial distance below the plane of the bottom edge of a depending, circumferential flange 40 integrally formed upon plate member 32. Plate member 32 is of a diameter equal to the outer diameter of flange 24, so that flange 24 bears against the top surface of plate member 32 as shown in Fig. 2.

Fixedly secured to the underside of plate member 32 is a radially extending stop lug 42, the purpose of which will be presently made apparent.

Stud 30 threads into sleeve 36, until base 12 and bottom plate 14 frictionally bind against one another so that they will thereafter, during operation of the device, he conjointly rotatable as a single unit properly termed a base assembly.

When the stud 30 is threaded to its maximum extent into sleeve 36, its lower end will terminate a substantial distance above the lower end of sleeve 36 as shown in Fig. 2.

The mounting block 16 is of inverted cup shape, having a large, downwardly opening recess 44 counterbored inwardly from its outer end a substantial distance to provide an internal, downwardly facing shoulder 46. Integrally formed upon the top wall of mounting block 16 is a depending, axial projection 48, having a bore 56} receiving sleeve 36, When sleeve 36 is extended into bore 50 to the maximum extent, a low, upwardly projecting, circular boss 52 on the top surface of mounting block 16 engages snugly in a downwardly opening, shallow depression 54 centrally formed on the bottom surface of bottom plate 14. With boss 52 engaged in depression the top surface of block 16 will be spaced downwardly a short distance from the bottom surface of bottom plate 14, with flange 40 of the bottom plate enclosing said space to conceal from view the radial lug 42, which lug bears lightly against the top surface of mounting block 16 as shown in Fig. 2.

After sleeve 36 has been'extended through bore 50, a small, externally threaded plug 56 is threadedinto the lower end of sleeve 36 as shown in Fig. 2, said plug hav ing a circumferential flange 58 bearing against the lower extremity of the sleeve. In its lower end the plug has a hemispherical recess 60 in which is rotatably engaged a.

ball element 62 adapted to bear against the top surface of closure disc 18.

With the antifriction means secured to the sleeve in the manner described, closure disc 18, which is of a diameter equal to that of the counterbore of recess 44, is positioned in the recess. The closure disc has triangularly spaced, smooth-walled openings 64, receiving screws 66, 68. Two screws 68 are provided, and one screw 66, the screw 66 being slightly longer than the screws 68. The screws are extended upwardly through openings 64 within recess 44, and threadedly engage in correspondingly triangularly spaced, threaded apertures 70 formed in the top wall of mounting block 16. When the heads of the screws engage against the bottom surface of the closure disc, the upper ends of screws 68 will not project above the plane of the top surface of mounting block 16. The upper end of screw 66, however, will project slightly above said plane as Shown in Fig. 2. It is there fore in the path of radial lug 42.

Rigid with and depending centrally from closure disc 18 is an elongated anchoring or connecting externally threaded stud 72, engageable in an internally threaded sleeve or socket 74 fixedly engaged in a center opening 76 of fiat top wall 78 of pedestal 2i). Said top wall of the pedestal, has a continuous, upwardly opening groove 30 concentric with socket '74 and receiving 21 depending, annular fiange 82 integrally formed on the lower end of mounting block 16.

It is thus seen that the mounting block 16 and disc 18 are removably, fixedly anchored to the pedestal 252. It will further be seen that base 12 and bottom plate 14 are rotatably supported on the block. Still further, the base may be rotated in. either direction through slightly less than 360, to expose to the viewer all sides of the supported figure 10. Rotation of the base in either direction is limited by its engaging one or the other sides of the upper end of screw 66, as will be noted by reference 4 to the dotted and full line positions of the lug 42 shown in Fig. 3.

The ornamental shapes of the figure 10, the base 12, the bottom plate 14, mounting block 16, and pedestal 24) may of course be varied as desired. Those external shapes illustrated are purely by way of one example of shapes that can be used. Further, the parts are so assembled that one can assemble a mounting block of a particular ornamental shape with any of a plurality of differently shaped pedestals, bases, etc. The same holds true for the base and pedestal respectively. It becomes possible, therefore, for the trophy maker to maintain a set of ornamentally shaped mounting blocks, another set of bases, etc., so that one may select for assembly with one another any of a large number of differently shaped components. A wide range of trophy designs, at low cost, is thus achieved.

It is of importance to note that the rotatable characteristics of the figure are fully concealed (see Fig. l) and also fully concealed is the separable nature of the component parts of the device.

Still further, an important characteristic of the invention is found in the fact that the figure rotates from one to its opposite extreme positions at the slightest touch of the finger. This characteristic is obtained by the use of the antifriction element, so disposed as to maintain in only light contact the confronting, relatively rotatable surfaces of the base assembly and support block assembly respectively.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

A trophy comprising a supported object, a dome-shaped base rigid therewith, a bottom closure plate for the base, a hollow mounting block rotatably supporting the base and bottom plate, a closure disc on the lower end of the mounting block, and a pedestal connected to the closure disc, the base including a depending threaded stud, the bottom plate including an internally threaded sleeve in which said stud is engaged to fixedly connect the base and bottom plate, said mounting block being formed with a centrally disposed bore in which the sleeve is rotatably engaged, the'connection of the closure disc to the mounting block comprising angularly spaced screws extending through the closure disc and threadedly engaged with the mounting block, oneof' said screws being longer thanthe others and projecting above the top surface of the mounting block, the bottom plate including a dependinglug'traveling in a circular path on rotation of the bottom plate, said one screw extending into the path of said lug to limit rotatable movement of the bottom plate and base in opposite directions to slightly less than three hundred and sixty degrees.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

